Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
